In The News

Chasing the Chinese Dream

Ariana Eunjung Cha October 25, 2007
Business entrepreneurs seeking security, opportunity and religious tolerance are turning away from traditional immigration destinations like the United States or Europe, and instead finding themselves on China's shores. The number of internationals in China with long-term visas has nearly doubled since 2003, about 450,000 people, including about 20,000 Muslims and 1,000 displaced Iraqis. The...

Globalization With Arab Characteristics

Marcus Noland October 17, 2007
A young workforce can be a great economic asset. Yet Arab states, with booming populations, desperately need to increase employment opportunities for young adults. Foreign investment has stagnated, limited to oil and tourism as firms remain wary of weak intellectual property rights and uncertain political transitions. Meanwhile, state-dominated economies have failed to achieve linkages to outside...

US Lets in More Immigrants for Farms

Nicole Gaouette October 9, 2007
Despite earlier promises about strict enforcement of immigration laws, the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Labor are reportedly easing policies to welcome more immigrant workers ready to harvest tomatoes, fruit and other crops before they rot. The US refuses to release details, but farmers clamor for more workers, claiming that citizens have no interest in joining the...

Outsourcing Is Too Wild to Fit Economic Theory

Andy Mukherjee October 9, 2007
Firms that consult and perform outsourcing work make use of all available space, time and labor. Global outsourcing is highly unpredictable and firms can perform projects from many locations, explains Andy Mukherjee for Bloomberg.com. Mukherjee provides an example: When Satyam Computer Services did one project for John Deere in Illinois, the firm rented nearby space, assigning 10 engineers to...

Towns Rethink Laws Against Illegal Immigrants

Ken Belson October 1, 2007
An anti-immigrant fire has swept the American landscape over the past two years, and immigrants are not the only ones scorched. Laws passed in more than 30 US towns, penalizing anyone who employed or rented to illegal immigrants, sent thousands running and left local businesses empty of customers. The laws, intended in part to eliminate the wage suppression typically associated with large illegal...

Children Trafficked From Asia to UK to Work in Cannabis Factories

Nina Lakhani September 27, 2007
In 2004, Britain declassified cannabis, decreasing the penalties for growing or possessing the controlled substance. As fear of punishment faded, demand grew and so did the appeal of producing the drug for greater profits. Organized crime rushed to fill the gap between supply and demand, and with record levels of production, Vietnamese gangs rely on children to tend plants. So declassification...

Muslims and the Tale of Two Continents

Shada Islam September 14, 2007
Ever since the 9/11 attacks, Islamic extremists have chosen the US as the target of their ire. But in the six years since 9/11, actual attacks planned on US soil are few in number, with more plotters emerging in Europe. Shada Islam, journalist and policy analyst based in Brussels, suggests that Muslim immigrants in Europe and US both share frustration about Western prejudices and...